Center for Psycho-oncology and Palliative Care Research
Projects
The center aims to serve as a vehicle to advance studies directed toward the center's mission. These include:
- Studies of disparities in care received by advanced cancer patients:
- Ethnic disparities in end-of-life care
- Lauren Vanderwerker, PhD, NIA K-award/ACS career award proposal to study Black-White differences in access to and outcomes of palliative care
- Ellen McCarthy, PhD, (Beth Israel Deaconess/Geriatrics) NIA R01 proposal to study Asian-American care of advanced cancer patients
- Alex Smith, MD, general internal medicine fellowship to study Asian-American end-of-life care
- Gender disparities
- Amy Sullivan, EdD, K/ACS career award proposal to study gender differences in advanced cancer care
- Ethnic disparities in end-of-life care
- Studies of clinical (e.g. physician) factors in end-of-life care
- Vicki Jackson, MD, (Mass. General, Palliative Care) NCI R03 study of the influence of physician factors such as burnout on quality of care of advanced cancer patients
- Tracy Balboni, MD, (Dana-Farber, Radiation Oncology) study of physician attitudes and practices regarding spiritual needs of incurable cancer patients receiving radiation
- Alex Smith, MD, survey of resident's attitudes and training for Advance Care Planning discussions with patients at hospital admission
- Susan Block, MD, Amy Sullivan, EdD, evaluation of interventions to improve palliative care practice in physicians and nurses
- Elizabeth Paulk, MD, (University of Texas Southwestern/Geriatrics/Parkland Palliative Care Service) study with Meghan Hickey, BS, (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons) medical student, study of factors influencing end-of-life treatment preferences
- Lisa Podgurski, BS, HMS medical student, of the association between aggressive end-of-life care and subjective quality of death of advanced cancer patients
- Mary Buss, MD, study of the influence of delirium on pain and physical symptom management
- Studies to improve methods for the detection and treatment of mental disorders in advanced cancer patients and their caregivers
- Paul Maciejewski, PhD, Holly Prigerson, PhD, NIMH/NCI proposals to refine diagnostic criteria for depression, anxiety and complicated grief
- Kara Zivin-Bambauer, PhD, (Hebrew Senior Life, Geriatrics) T32 postdoctoral fellowship to study the mental health consequences of nursing home place and death of caregivers of geriatric patients with dementia; studies of stigmatization and mental health service use among caregivers of terminally ill patients
- Alaka Ray, AB (HMS medical student), study of psychological consequences of prognostic awareness
- Alaka Ray, AB (HMS medical student), American Foundation of Suicide Prevention proposal to study desire for death in advanced cancer patients
- Brett Litz, PhD, (Boston University, Psychiatry, National Center for PTSD) online early intervention for bereaved cancer patient caregivers
- Benjamin Goldsmith, BA, Sean Morrison, MD (Mt Sinai School of Medicine, Geriatrics/Palliative Care), study of ethnic differences in risks for complicated grief
- Melissa Carlson, PhD, MBA, Sean Morrison, MD (Mt Sinai School of Medicine, Geriatrics/Palliative Care), study of resilience as protective factor for complicated grief onset
- Baohui Zhang, MS, study of grief resolution
- Joseph Greer, PhD (Mass. General, Psychiatry), publications and ASCO presentation on anxiety disorders in advanced cancer patients used in support of his NIMH K award of CBT for cancer patients with anxiety
- Tracy Balboni, MD (Dana-Farber, Radiation Oncology), study of the use of religious coping in addressing unmet spiritual needs of seriously ill patients
